Sunday, June 13, 2010

Two Challenges Ahead

The first challenge will begin on Wednesday when I depart for a 3-day felt-dying-book-binding workshop. I'll be sharing a room in B&B-type of place with another student. I've corresponded with her via email a bit, but have never met her. The organizer has planned snacks and fancy lunches. I'm guessing there will be looooong days/evenings and not much sleep. There will be many food temptations and I'll be out of my comfort zone in lots of ways.

So I need a plan. Well, I have a food plan. Three meals a day. No snacks. No binge foods. Only one plate or bowl per meal. I can do this at home. I can even factor in eating out once in a while. Can I maintain my plan at the workshop? Will I maintain my plan at the workshop?

With 57 days invested in abstinence so far, I certainly don't want to re-set the counter... nor do I want to slide again into the binge foods abyss. Ten things that might help me stay on course:

take sugar-free gum... several flavors

take a good supply of bottled water and a few cans of diet soda

don't worry (or even think) about the second challenge until this one is behind me

pray (something I rarely do; hardly know how to do)

walk rather than eat; when temptation strikes, take a quick walk around the building or down the street and back

tell the student(s) next to me what I am doing; make a verbal commitment to them about my food plan each day

make a commitment about sticking to my food plan here on my blog and report at the end of the workshop (probably no access to Internet while there)

remember that I'm there to PLAY and learn; my work does not have to be good or perfect or pretty or remarkable in any way

make a verbal commitment about sticking to my food plan to my husband and call him every night to report

ask if any readers have other suggestions... maybe things that have worked for them

Hey! That's a decent list... think I'll print it out, keep it visible for the next two days and take it with me.

To my readers... Yes, I do commit to sticking to my food plan and will report when I return. And yes, I do welcome any suggestions you have.

No, thanks to the above list, I'm not going to write about the second challenge happening one week later... Time for that when I return from the workshop. Posting will probably be sparse, but I'll be baaaack!

7 comments:

Your post got me to thinking. Food is dangled in front of our faces to entice us everywhere we go. Samples at the grocery store. Food served at weddings and other family celebrations. The luncheon served every 2nd Thursday at work as a reward for a job well done....and on and on and on. No wonder we have been trained to reward ourselves with food.

You can do this Robin. 57 days!! I will do MY personal challenge with you. The next time you post, I WILL be able to say I succeeded. Perhaps it will be the start of MY 57 days.

Wishing you great success with your plan! As for tips, logging what I eat helps me when I'm trying to closely monitor what I'm doing. I don't mind writing "1 Hershey's kiss", but I sure don't want to write "20 Hershey's kisses." :)

You could also take a small bag of nuts (I like walnuts) just in case the water in between meals doesn't quite do it. Having them with me, lets me feel I have a healthy backup, just in case and I usually don't eat them.

I have the habit of nibbling, and if there's a snacky substance nearby, I'll end up nibbling on that rather than taking the trouble to go for a more healthful alternative. But I'm also a Queen Procrastinator, so I can often just say, "Well, I'll have a bite later on..." However, my best way to avoid excessive snack grazing is to pick up some project, knitting, an art project, beading, even research into techniques, and I quickly forget all about snacks, and sometimes realize it's 10pm and I forgot dinner! The artwork is always way more interesting to me than eating anything.

As for your workshop, I'm sure you'll do fine. You have a pan, and determination, and a record of success to give you confidence. You (and Little Peacfulbird) can learn and play to your hearts' content for 3 whole days. What fun that will be!

Well, I'll be right there with you! and you can certainly talk to me about any temptations and not only that but should you wish to take a walk, I'll go walk with you, I would love that!!

Since I have so many food allergies, I won't be snacking like others might either. No sugar, no chocolate, no dairy (ah, cheese), no gluten... We'll make tea, PB, and sip it while creating our little felted & beaded wonders and that will be our ***food***

About Me

I am a compulsive overeater, a "food" addict. I am as hard-core as any down-and-out drug addict, only my substance is legal, I have the money to get it, and I can still pass as normal. For more than 60 years, I have taken big hits of sugar/fat to blot out sorrows, to stuff down my fears, angers and pain... also to celebrate any and every little thing you can imagine... until I feel almost nothing at all, until I'm stupefied and numb. In March of 2010, I razed the bottom. I went to my first Overseaters Anonymous (OA) meeting and have begun a journey of recovery. This blog is my journal of healing.